Wadey's farewell game, in front of an appreciative crowd, with the usual politician hangers-on basking in the glory - on this occasion Jeff Kennett - but still not enough to prevent Canberra taking over from Mooroolbark as the NSL's losingest team. That did happen didn't it? I can just hear the sighs of relief down Esther Park way as the history books get re-written.
A smaller crowd than I expected. Probably fewer than 8,000 and not enough to mark the passing (as a participant) of one of Victorian soccer's most durable players. *He* deserved a better attendance, even if the game didn't especially warrant it.
No goals by half-time, due to brave keeping from the Canberra keeper (Moreno?), who went down to stop Kelic and Clarkson through on one v ones early.
And a well worked offside ploy that the Lakers' midfielders and strikers toiled against mostly unsuccessfully throughout the game. Now an offside ploy is generally indicative of two types of football team - one the AC-Milan-type where a deadly defence blots out any threat and knows it can rely on a couple of well-worked offensive moves to score the goals that provide the victory. The other is the local-pub-side-that-knows-it's-crap-type and hopes to scrape through ninety minutes against more talented opposition by halting the game every three minutes with another flag and whistle. I saw no red and black vertical stripes tonight :-)
As I recall in a recent World Youth Cup tournament held here in Oz (1983 perhaps?) Qatar were such a side, relying almost exclusively on such tactics right up until the knock-out phase when they met Germany. Germany had sorted out what to do to break through that one style defence, and proceeded to show just how empty a tactic it can be.
South Melbourne didn't vary their offensive game, hoping eventually to time a through-ball to Kelic and Curija that would pass the assistant linesman's judgement. The goals, when they came, didn't really happen that way, but it was clear throughout the match that there was a major gap between the teams that would result in a Lakers win.
Markovski got his usual reception from the South fans, and played up to it somewhat. After he was subbed, a number of the less-well-intellectually-endowed of the home fans came up behind the dug-out and started harrassing the tubby one. A little intervention by South Melbourne great Jimmy Armstrong settled the trouble, but it's unworthy of any fans to be so ungracious. Markovski might be an objectionable little toad - I doubt that he is actually - but even if he were, he still showed he has a good deal of talent and a deft touch. He did nothing horrible to South players on the park, and the dills that gave him a spray probably had objections to him on matters entirely unrelated to football. Petty, silly, stupid stuff.
Markovski provided a great moment with a shot from within his own half midway through the first half that Petkovic just reached and scrambled for a corner. Haven't goalkeepers been watching telly? Don't they know about Beckham's goal this season?
But three goals in a short space of time from Curcija, Kelic, and Trimboli put the game away. It also allowed Angie Postecoglou to make a triple substitution bringing on Mike Peterson, Tansel Baser, and Daniel Allsop for Kelic, Trimboli, and (I think) Polak.
Nick Orlic wasmightily pissed off at collecting a yellow card, rightly issued for a foolish tackle, so that probably means he's gone over the limit for at least next weeek's game. He seemed to want to make an issue of it with either the ref or a couple of team-mates, and De Amicis ensured Trimboli's attention was drawn to what was happening and Trimmers came over to tell Orlic to cut it out.
Wade had a couple of good second-half efforts, and a goal from him would not have been begrudged by even the most hard-hearted Lakers fan. But Cosmos' goal came in injury time, converted after some dogged led up work on the left, by Buljan.
It was then time for Wadey to come off to a standing ovation, a couple of hugs from Mike Peterson (a frightening thought by itself), and a proper recognition of a good career.
Two points in conclusion. There were two matches critical to South's position in the Finals in addition to the one they played - the Perth v Melbourne Knights game which may have determined an opponent; and the Adelaide City match which may have pushed Lakers to fourth. Only the Melbourne/Perth game had progress scores provided by the ground announcer, although progress scores in all *but* the Adelaide City games were regularly given. As it was 0-0 at Bob Jane for quite some time, I can't understand why this significant game was left off the list.
The second was the abysmal 9:00pm ABC radio news. I was in my car leaving the ground at the time that service came on. NSL progress scores were given - South 1 Canberra 0 was one of them, and my memory of the others was that they too were hopelessly out of date. Come the 10:00pm news, there was *nothing*. Not in the national part of the bulletin, nor in the Victorian State part either, although AFL game scores were covered there, as were VFL game results. Pretty crap service I reckon - the round after the penultimate round of a national league sporting season, and nothing from our national broadcaster.
I want my eight cents back for today please.......